Rail system, for an electrical pallet conveyor system

Abstract

Rail system for an electrical pallet conveyor system, having a switch point which is arranged between a main track and a plurality of secondary tracks and which includes a plurality of moving rail sections. Depending on their position, the rail sections are able to connect the main track to the secondary tracks. The moving rail sections which are associated with one rail of the main track are in this case mounted on a first moving slide, and the moving rail sections which are associated with the second rail of the main track are mounted on a second moving slide which can move independently of the first slide. A dedicated drive which can be separately actuated by a control device is associated with each slide.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rail system for an electrical pallet conveyor system comprising:
 a) a main track, which comprises at least two stationary parallel rails; 
 b) at least two secondary tracks, which form an angle, each of the at least two secondary tracks having as many stationary parallel rails as the main track; 
 c) a switch point arranged between the main track and the at least two secondary tracks, the switch point comprising
 ca) as many moving rail sections for each rail of the main track as there are secondary tracks, the moving rail sections optionally being able to connect the parallel fails of the different secondary tracks to the at least two stationary parallel rails of the main track, directly or indirectly, depending on their position; 
 cb) at least one moving slide, on which a plurality of the moving rail sections are mounted; 
 cc) at least one drive for moving the at least one slide; 
 cd) a control device, which actuates the at least one drive; 
 
 wherein 
 d) the moving rail sections assigned to a first rail of the main track are mounted on a first moving slide and the moving rail sections assigned to a second rail of the main track are mounted on a second moving slide, which can be moved independently of the first slide ( 20 ); and 
 e) an first individual drive is assigned to the first moving slide and a second individual drive is assigned to the second moving slide, wherein the first individual drive and the second individual drive can be actuated separately by the control device. 
 
     
     
       2. The rail system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control device is programmed such that the control device actuates the first individual drive and the second individual drive at periodic intervals. 
     
     
       3. The rail system according to  claim 2 , wherein the periodic interval is between 0.5 and 1 second. 
     
     
       4. The rail system according to  claim 1 , wherein a third moving slide is provided in a centre of the switch point, which supports at least one additional moving rail section and has a third individual drive that can be actuated independent of the first individual drive and the second individual drive.